


Out of the shell

by Maluucious



Series: melting hearts & shells [1]
Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Aquariums, Childhood Friends, Choi Chanhee | New & Ji Changmin | Q are Best Friends, Comfort, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Lee Jaehyun/Hyunjae l Bae Joonyoung/Jacob, One Shot, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:34:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26994514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maluucious/pseuds/Maluucious
Summary: "If you don't like him, then I'm straight.""I've never met someone gayer than you, Chanhee.""And I've never met anyone more in love with you than Sunwoo."
Relationships: Ji Changmin | Q/Kim Sunwoo
Series: melting hearts & shells [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1975063
Comments: 4
Kudos: 105





	Out of the shell

**Author's Note:**

> HELLOOOOOOO SOFT FURRY PLUSHIES!  
> I hope you're having a good day! 
> 
> I'm back with a new Sunkyu :D  
> It had been hard to write recently but I had the huge motivation to write this today! I hope you'll like it!!! 
> 
> You can find me on twitter too if you want!! @topazionmoon

*

_"I wasn't crying!" Sunwoo shouted._

_"If you say so."_

_Changmin chuckled as his boyfriend crossed his arms against his chest in a dramatic manner, turning his head to the side to avoid his gaze. The move only made the black-haired laugh even more._

_"Why did you accept to go to the movies with me in the first place?" he finally asked as they walked towards the subway, "you knew it would end up that way!"_

_Sunwoo shrugged and Changmin thought he wasn't going to answer him at first. When he had come down of his apartment that day, ready to watch one of his favorite movies that were being reprogramed in his neighborhood's cinema, he had been surprised to see his boyfriend waiting for him with a coffee and a smile. Not that it was weird for the brunet to smile (even though he was also often seen with a pout on his face), but it was unusual for him to insist to accompany him to the movie theater, because of Changmin's taste for everything that appeared gory, stressful, frightening, which was far from the boy's preferences. If he could hear him talk to him about the stories, it was rare for him to watch them side by side._

_After a few minutes of walking, when they entered the subway station, the brown-haired relaxed his sulking face and threw an eye in direction of the eldest who was still looking at him. Suddenly, Changmin noticed the soft pink shade on his face, which only made him even more curious. He had never been the type to force the other to come with him and would choose other movies they could watch together at the same time, but he had to admit that it was quite a fun experience to see the guy scream from fear and try to hide behind him._

_The brunet mumbled something inaudible when the train arrived, making the smallest lean towards him._

_"I can't hear you, sunshine."_

_After a sigh, Sunwoo's voice came out again, a little bit louder but still easy to lose._

_"You like it. It makes you happy and I like it when you're happy."_

_Suddenly, Changmin felt his face burn and his eyes widened. He wasn't the type to blush easily in random moments, unlike the boy facing him. He was often seen in his own world, not minding anything around him, or playing with the sulker he called boyfriend. However, there was something that would send him in a frozen state every time Sunwoo was touching a small burning point hidden in his chest. Trying to get his composure back, he simply moved on the train and sat next to the window._

_"You must be masochistic," was all he could mumble._

_Next to him, Sunwoo chuckled and brushed their hands together, their fingers interlacing for a few seconds. Yet, when Changmin's eyes fell on a couple looking at them from afar, he put his hand back in his pocket with red cheeks, while his boyfriend blindly played a game on his phone. A small ball of guilt darkened his chest with embarrassment following his instinctive move. If Sunwoo didn't seem to mind his reaction, he still looked down, holding his sigh back and waiting for the train to arrive at his station._

*

Changmin had never felt able to give back all the affection Sunwoo would show him. Actually, he had never felt like he was worthy of this love either.

As a child, he had to thank his quite extrovert nature that led him to make some friends but was still pretty secluded compared to the others. He knew some used to be nearly scared of this kid and his brutal moves, his tiny fist flying in the air as if no one was around him, of his unexpected tastes for everything that was considered strange. Every Halloween, he would get scolded by mothers after their toddlers went to hide behind them, crying Changmin had scared them. Sometimes it was true, sometimes they were making up stories. But he had just shrugged it off, not minding them, already lost in his small little bubble that seemed more alluring than reality. Until one Halloween, when a younger kid from his school got scared of the fake spiders in Changmin's hood, scared enough to cry. The latter had just laughed like he used to. A few days after, when his birthday came, he heard a few children from his class talk about him in pretty bad terms as he was sitting behind the hedge of the schoolyard, reading a fantasy book. He was about to stand up and answer them, signaling his presence, when he heard another voice that led him to take a discreet glance. The toddler he had scared to death had pushed the other, a boy from Changmin's class, making him fall.

_"He may be weird to you but he's nicer than you'll ever be!'_

Surprised, Changmin watched him take his defense before stepping up when the boy's friends, older and taller, tried to push him away. That day was inked in his mind, and he was sure he would never be able to forget it. It was the day he had met Sunwoo.

Since then, they were stuck with each other. It was more unusual for Sunwoo not to hang out at Changmin's house, to the point where the eldest's parents had even taken the bait to count him in for Christmas. Different schools had been unable to separate them and, with years passing, they had evolved around one another, feelings changing but their closeness only getting stronger.

*

_"Why don't you two just go out together?" Chanhee asked while drinking his Frappuccino, his eyes not leaving the tall figure of the boy he had a crush on and who was sitting across the library-café._

_"Who are you talking about?"_

_Changmin raised a curious head, like a suricate, his eyes wide behind the huge glassed that nearly swallowed his small face. Preparing for their final exam before their holidays and semester abroad, Chanhee and him were sitting cross-legged on each side of the wooden table, books covering his side while drinks and pastries were covering his friend's one. The pink-haired left his target for a second to look at Changmin as if he was the dumbest._

_"Hm, the Pope and Santa Claus," he answered with a mordant voice. "I'm obviously talking about Sunwoo and you, idiot. I don't understand why you have not asked him out yet."_

_Changmin nearly choked on the last drops of coffee he drank, looking at him without understanding what his friend was trying to tell him._

_"S-Stop! I don't like him like that!' he nearly screamed in the shop, earning a dark glare from the owner and curious ones from other customers._

_Chanhee burst into laughter on his chair while Changmin hid even more in the wide hoodie he was wearing, feeling the sudden need to disappear. It took a few minutes for the pink-haired to calm himself, under the disapproving look emerging behind the glasses, and he still found the way to dramatically rolled his eyes before taking a sip of his cold drink._

_"If you don't like him, then I'm straight."_

_"I've never met someone gayer than you, Chanhee."_

_"And I've never met anyone more in love with you than Sunwoo."_

_Changmin shook his head like a lost puppy, feeling some type of panic running down his veins in a second. He didn't know where to land his gaze, everything feeling dangerous and embarrassing at the same time. His head turned towards the bar, he noticed a couple kissing and another one hugging from afar, and his anxiety doubled up in a second, feeling uneasy surrounded by their affection. Chanhee noticed it when looking at his shaky hands, stretching his arm to hold his fingers in the small pale palm. The move made Changmin looked up in a second, nervous, and a soft chuckle escaped his friend's lips._

_"Don't look at me like that, Minnie, you look like an abandoned puppy," Chanhee stated softly. "No need to panic. Maybe it's not the right time, after all, you're leaving soon."_

_The black-haired gulped, frozen, and it took him a few seconds to remember he should nod. His friend scrutinized him._

_"Is Sunwoo going to stay at your house during your semester?"_

_Sighing, Changmin nodded again, his eyes falling on his papers._

_"The situation isn't good with his parents lately. Mom offered him to take my room when I'll be away."_

_Chanhee agreed in silence, letting a few seconds flow by before smiling again, lightening the atmosphere up._

_"Now let's go back to your Japanese lessons or I'll call you every day to hear about you being unable to communicate for six months."_

*

In fact, staying six months away from one another had been the longest they had ever been separated. When they had exchanged goodbyes at the airport, Changmin had felt a strange feeling tightening his chest, noticing the warm smile of the brunet. He had wanted to hug his friend but had felt incapable to do so, nervousness back in his veins when he had thought about his meeting with Chanhee before the holidays. In the end, he had only left with a playful comment and a wave.

The first weeks had been easy, despite the hardship Changmin might have had with foreign languages. Especially when he had met Kevin, a Canadian boy of his age who was traveling in Japan with his best friend Jacob and who became his coworker after having introduced him to his employer. However, meeting them had meant a lot to Changmin as he had discovered other people accepting him with their own sparkle of craziness in their gaze. Thanks to them, his semester had been easier.

But, with that, he had surprised himself to compare their behavior with his childhood friend's one. He had surprised himself to look forward to their call with a mix of anxiety and joy and, most of all, he had surprised himself to share a tear or two, one day, after Sunwoo hung up abruptly to go play video games with Eric. That day, he had called Chanhee, whining until the other pick his phone up.

He had eventually come back for a week during his spring holidays. At the airport, Sunwoo had met him with the exact same smile he would keep for the eldest, and not even the remark about his fancy outfit had disconcerted him. They had sit side by side in the car as Changmin's parents had driven them home and, at this moment, the boy had felt finally full again.

_"Are you going to come back again before the end of the semester?" Sunwoo had asked._

_He was sitting on a swing, his cigarette burning in his hand while Changmin was blindly playing hopscotch in the empty playground. They always used to hang out there, since the place had been abandoned for a new one, a few streets away._

_"I don't think so. It's tiring to come back."_

_Changmin had felt remorse after pronouncing his words, yet Sunwoo didn't react, only exhaling the smoke. The older looked at him with worry._

_"You'll be able to keep my bed warm a bit longer," he added in a softer note that made the other crack a small smile._

_"I admit it's comfortable."_

_Changmin had moved to sit on the next swing, letting the silence grow between them. Unlike the old times, he felt like the peacefulness was gone in his mind, making him scared and tensed. It was true that coming back home was exhausting, but the entire truth would have implied an invitation for Sunwoo to tag along and come with him. With months passing by, Changmin felt lonely without him. He used to be a strange moon, fascinated by everything that would scare people, and was now realizing that he felt like he was nothing without the sun warming his life with loud laughs and lazy Sundays spent laying down like sleepy cats under the sun._

_Before coming back for his holidays, Changmin had never really noticed how his gaze would lose itself in the charcoal eyes slightly hidden by curled locks, how it would wander across the delicate tan skin, and how he would easily notice any bruise on the dark plump lips, how he was always attracted near the now taller body while being scared to touch him at the same time. However, after that, he was way too conscious of it._

_Bringing the cigarette to his lips, Sunwoo seemed to notice his stare, tilting his way to the side while exhaling the smoke. At this moment, the sight pulled a soft blush on Changmin's face, the latter nervous in front of this beautiful man who had weirdly only ever looked at him._

_"Do I have something on the face?"_

_"A bruise on the jaw but this isn't different from usual," Changmin shrugged._

_The youngest offered him a pinched smile. One of the reasons why he had nearly grown up in Changmin's house was also his bad relationship with his family. Things had always been particular, but it had worsened after Sunwoo got his very first boyfriend at the end of high school, and his father had seen them kissing. Changmin still remembered the usually glowing skin covered in green and purple, but had been even more impressed by the unbreakable smile when he had calmed the eldest down, telling him it was nothing._

_"I thought you were going to say that I was handsome," Sunwoo teased to light up the mood and Changmin burst into laughter, making him pout._

_"You, handsome?"_

_The younger stuck out his tongue in a playful way to answer him._

_"That's true, you are," Changmin added in a murmur when the other stood up to put his cigarette in the bin._

_Sunwoo had come back, holding out his hand to him. The dark-haired look at him with suspicion, like a wild animal, scared to be trapped. The youngest only looked at him._

_"It's getting dark, no one will see us, you know," he pointed out patiently._

_Sunwoo was far from being patient but had always this wonderful amount of determination to make Changmin feel comfortable, accepted, and interesting. When the latter was silencing himself because of doubts, he would take his time to make him talk. When he was chatting about the most dangerous species of the world or the modus operandi of a killer from a novel, he would listen and asked questions, always making sure to be as involved as he could to let the eldest bloom. On the other way, Changmin had taught him that he was pointless to imitate others. He had supported him, been a presence he could rely on, grown into the one playing around with him when everything seemed dark._

_Maybe it was because it was their way of working around each other but, after a few silent seconds, after watching Sunwoo's arms lowered itself when he hid his hand in his pocket, understanding Changmin's embarrassment, it was the oldest who scampered to join him in their walk back home, his fingers shyly searching for the other. Softly, still silent, Sunwoo's palm held his hand in the pocket of his jacket, moving closer to hide their arms when Changmin would look around like a scared puppy after hearing some voices._

Unlike what he had thought, it had been even more exhausting not to come back. At that time, one day, Changmin had laid down on his couch after a video call with Sunwoo. He had tried to cheer him up after a bad week but, after the youngest's admission that the only thing that would make his mood better was to see him, he had felt down too. After the call, he had stared at the ceiling, sighing an incredible amount of times, to the point Kevin, who was sitting across the bed while reading some random magazine, had given up counting. In the small kitchen, Jacob had paused the preparation of their lunch to look at him.

"Why don't you come back for the weekend to surprise him?" The soft voice of the Canadian had made the two youngest raise their head.

"Airplanes are expensive," Changmin had sighed, sitting up. "No, I should just put myself together. I will see him in two months."

Kevin and Jacob had exchanged a glance before the latter searched for something in his bag and approached Changmin, squatting down in front of him. Jacob was the personification of kindness and all his being was translating this fact, from his delicate eyes to his smile, warm like the first ray of sun, and the softness of his voice.

"I have a question for you, Changmin," he had announced in a soft voice.

The boy had nodded with curiosity, fully aware of Kevin's gaze on them, slightly nervous.

"I think you like Sunwoo."

"Obviously I do, he's my childhood best friend," Changmin had muttered while looking away.

Jacob had chuckled softly, patiently waiting for him to look back in his eyes. When he had finally done it, the dark-haired had only met tenderness and affection, wrapping him up in an invisible blanket of sweetness.

"I might have to clarify," he had started again. "I think you have feelings for Sunwoo. Romantically. Am I right?"

A tornado of stress had tried to destroy the delicate blanket when the words had escaped Jacob's lips. Yet, in the blurred fog suddenly surrounding the eldest, Changmin had held on his kind eyes like a compass saving him from an abominable storm in the night. In the silence, he had simply nodded, nervous, his whole being slight shaking.

On the bed, Kevin had mumbled a low _"Jesus, finally!"_ which made Changmin slightly blush. Jacob, on the other hand, had smiled softly and had shown him what he was hiding in his other hand. The youngest's eyes had widened and he had nearly screamed to refuse. In front of him, Jacob had offered him his plane tickets.

"You can't do that! Your boyfriend is so excited to see you this weekend!"

Jacob had chuckled.

"I can still call Hyunjae and tell him to come when he can. Let's consider this your birthday present in advance from both of us."

Changmin had looked at Kevin with round eyes, trying to seek his help but the latter only seemed to agree with Jacob.

"You should tell him when you get there," the oldest had added softly.

It had been hard for Changmin to accept the sacrifice of his friend. It had taken the Canadians three hours to convince him, both of them using their best arguments. Yet, the most powerful one had been the memory of Sunwoo's intense gaze on him in the playground after exhaling the smoke of his cigarette. Giving up, he had finally allowed Jacob to call to change the names on the tickets.

The next day, Jacob had driven him to the airport and, after a few pieces of advice and a hug, he had let him go for the weekend. In the plane, Changmin had been unable to focus on his movie nor any music, scared to death to disappoint Sunwoo by his presence but also excited to see him face to face earlier than what had originally been planned.

The way home had felt oddly peaceful and chaotic at the same time. Since Jacob had taken one of the first planes to spend as much time as he could with his boyfriend, it was no surprise for Changmin to stand in front of his house with the birds singing behind him, a delicate fog still on the city. Sliding his keys in the lock, he had left his luggage downstairs. Taking advantage of the quiet house since no one had seemed to be up, he had found his way back to his room on tip-toe, trying to do as little noise as possible while opening the door. Curled up in the blanket decorated with multicolors dinosaurs, Sunwoo was still sleeping when Changmin had looked at him. He had smiled noticing the entangled locks falling on his face, the slightly parted lips, and the delicate lashes who started to flutter slowly as he had woken up. When their eyes had met, it had taken a second for the youngest to look at him dumbstruck.

"Tell me I'm not dreaming," he had mumbled in a hoarse voice that had sent shivers down Changmin's spine.

The dark-haired had smiled before joining him under the blanket, snuggling near him, much to Sunwoo's surprise. Yet, his arm had automatically fallen around his waist, and Changmin had only been able to smile even more. In a second, overwhelmed by the other's fragrance and warmth, by his presence around him, his heart had started to beat as it had rarely done.

"You're not," he had whispered, moving a lock of hair aside from Sunwoo's face, "you can fall back asleep, I won't disappear."

Sunwoo had smiled, still not far from the land of dreams when he had hidden his face in the crook of Changmin's neck.

"You better don't."

*

_"Look at this one!"_

_Sunwoo moved to the other side of the corridor to take a glance at the enormous fish Changmin was showing him. It was colorful and strange, yet moving prettily above their heads._

_"I prefer the octopus," Sunwoo stated after a minute._

_"They are funny," the dark-haired nodded before looking at him with sparkles in his eyes. "Let's go see the sharks!"_

_If Sunwoo's face seemed paler, the boy only nodded softly. After taking their shared nap in a warm bed, their breakfast had been punctuated by the happy questions from Changmin's parents who had discovered their son resting his head against the youngest's shoulder, eyes half-closed in front of his cup of coffee. He had nearly jumped on his chair when hearing them, but none of them had pointed out the discreet affection they usually took a glance of when the two were supposedly alone._

_The boys had agreed on spending their weekend together, Sunwoo dumping Eric to accompany the eldest. Each one had decided to choose some activities, switching from one to another. When the other had left to shower, Changmin had looked on his phone for everything they could do and had decided to go for an outing at the aquarium._

_Now, here they were, nearly alone since they arrived right at the opening of the place. Behind his light-heart, Changmin felt a stinging arrow stabbing his chest every time he looked at the brown-haired. He couldn't keep his realization away, and Jacob's words were all over his mind every time Sunwoo laughed, every time they looked at each other with sparkles in their eyes. Instead of looking at his childhood friend, he felt like taking a glance at a man, most beautiful than he would ever be, who had been always there to understand him and had slowly made him fall into a frightening hole like the rabbit bringing Alice into Wonderland._

_When they walked in the glassed corridors where sharks surrounded them, Changmin couldn't help but smile in a reassuring manner._

_"We can avoid it, you know."_

_Sunwoo shook his head, yet the eldest felt him grasp a bit of his jacket as he was following him, looking down. When they were kids, Changmin had been amazed by a wonderful documentary about this feared animals, but this had sent Sunwoo into such a huge crying session that he had only stopped to fall asleep, soon waking up from nightmares filled with sharks._

_Changmin smiled brightly, his nose nearly against the glassed wall, his eyes wide and full of innocent curiosity. He loved the aquarium. He loved it when the subdues blue light of water fell on him. He loved it when he was leaving his reality to dive into a new universe._

_Not realizing it at first, he started talking alone to one of the animals swimming with a baby, imagining a discussion like random people would do with kittens and puppies. Instead, he was wondering about the day of this mother, what she had eaten, and what life she would have had in his imagination. A soft chuckle made him snap back to reality, turning around to look at Sunwoo who was still looking unease but with a bit more colors on his tanned skin._

_"Hm?"_

_"Nothing," the youngest shrugged with a playful smile, "you're cute."_

_The comment made Changmin's eyes widen for another reason, his face burning as if the sun was piercing through the water, in a way only Sunwoo could get him to. He felt his mouth go dry in a second, his voice stuck in his throat and his hand clammy. With his heart hammering so loud that it seemed like he couldn't hear anything else, he quickly looked away, searching for an anchor around him. Sunwoo seemed to understand the sense of panic running down his veins, yet his voice couldn't be less soothing at that second where Changmin felt hit by the feelings that had always seemed frightening to him._

_He didn't know how to answer to everything and, instead, he just ended up curled up on the ground, hiding in his knees, his breath uneven._

_"Changmin, are you okay?" Sunwoo finally muttered after letting him be for a few seconds. When an employee passed by and worried if everything was right, the youngest politely answered positively, asking him to leave them a bit. When he did, Changmin dared to look up for a second, earning a soft chuckle. "The lost puppy is back."_

_The eldest pouted and whined._

_"You said I was cute."_

_The youngest smiled delicately._

_"You are, but I'm sorry if you felt uncomfortable. I won't do it again."_

_Changmin sighed in despair, shooting his head. His move only made Sunwoo stopped talking, looking at him with curious eyes, yet the dark-haired felt unable to hold on to his gaze, looking down. He was scared. He was frightened to let everything go, to risk everything. Jacob had done so much for him, he didn't want to go back crying, he couldn't do it when his friend had sacrificed his romantic weekend for him. On the other side, he owed him a few minutes of bravery, regardless of the consequences. Risking to lose the warm presence at his sides was terrifying, yet, when Sunwoo placed a delicate hand on his knee to calm him, he took a deep breath._

_"It's not that," he started in a voice so low and unstable that it seemed like a shaky whisper, "I'm just scared."_

_Sunwoo didn't interrupt him, letting him take all the time he needed to find his words. He didn't like that._

_"I…I mean… You're always here for me, and I… You mean a lot to me…" he sounded so pleading, seeking for an escape unavailable. Sunwoo looked at him, a pinched smile cheering him up. "I don't know how to say it, Sunwoo"_

_The youngest tilted his head to the side._

_"Do you want to write it on your phone instead? Or explain by mimes?"_

_A nervous chuckle escaped the eldest's lips when he heard the second option, relieving him for a bit. Shyly, he took his phone from the depth of his pocket, his shaky fingers chaotically writing something in his notes before showing the screen with pitiful eyes. In front of him, Sunwoo read the three little words with a sparkle lightening up his gaze, his face warmed by a pink flush and a smile widening softly._

_"I love you too, Changmin."_

_"But…" the eldest muttered with a pout, "I don't mean that in a friendly way…"_

_"I'don't either," Sunwoo chuckled, watching him blink like a computer rebooting. "I thought it was pretty obvious."_

_Changmin looked away, pouting even more, which only make the other boy laugh even more despite both of their red faces, turning in a soft shade of purple under the light of the water. Nervously, after checking that no one was there beside the fishes behind the glassed walls, he grabbed Sunwoo's hand to interlace their fingers, his curled up figure still hiding the move. The youngest smiled a bit more, and this warmth coming from him only made the eldest feel braver than he thought he was. Anxiety slowly coming down, he stuttered._

_"Would you…like…hm…to be my boyfriend?"_

_"I was waiting for you to ask," the brown-haired grinned, earning a soft hit from Changmin in his shoulder._

_"Idiot."_

_"You like it though."_

_Despite the flush on his cheeks at the comment, Changmin tried to focus on the small amount of courage Sunwoo was bringing to his anxious being and made everything to forgot the nervous ball in his stomach._

_"I really want to kiss you," he scoffed lowly, "but I think I'm going to wait to be home for that."_

_"Perfect, because I'm the one choosing where we go next and I choose: home," Sunwoo teased with a playful wink._

*

Chanhee was still busy complaining about Sunwoo's pizza order from Younghoon's lap when Changmin opened the door to Kevin, Jacob, and Hyunjae with a relieved smile.

"Someone seems already on fire today," Hyunjae scoffed, earning a dramatic glare from the pink-haired.

"What is going on this time?" Jacob asked curiously.

Changmin led them into the small living room of the apartment, taking their jackets, by the way, to put them aside.

"Sunwoo ordered pizzas with mushrooms!" Chanhee whined. "I hate mushrooms!"

"I said I had taken some without!" the guilty boy nearly shouted, offended.

"But you could have taken much more choice if you didn't choose these!"

"Mushrooms are good though," Kevin stopped them with a playful smile that earned him a dirty glare from the mushrooms-hater.

"See, that's why you're single," Chanhee dramatically crossed his arms against his chest, before squinting at Sunwoo, "and, don't even think to answer by reminding me that you're dating my best friend, Kim Sunwoo. Changmin doesn't count, he is weird."

Changmin rolled his eyes with a chuckle, letting them debate while searching for some glasses in the kitchen, acting as if he didn't hear Sunwoo mumble a _"yes but my weirdo"_ when he passed in front of him.

After the end of his studies, he had thankfully been able to find an apartment in the capital, living close enough to Chanhee to feel safe. At that time, he had missed Jacob and Kevin, who were still traveling as much as they could, but had been able to meet the first one's boyfriend, an awkward and loud brown-haired that would have looked like a complete straight jock if Changmin had never seen him look at Jacob with such fond eyes. It had been hard for them to grow up close at first, however, Sunwoo's visits had helped a lot. Finishing his college, the youngest had taken out a subscription to have train tickets at a lower price, coming as often as he could to snuggle in his boyfriend's bed. Following a few clumsy dates where Changmin was still too anxious to relax, Sunwoo had taken his apartment for granted, spending all the weekends in the small place warmed by his presence. It had become such a habit that, a year after, Changmin had felt like the place was too small.

"I'll be forever surprised that you've never killed him," Chanhee snorted from the couch to Sunwoo, still sitting on his boyfriend's thigh, resting his head on his shoulder.

"I've known him since primary school," Sunwoo chuckled. "If I've survived this, I can do everything."

The laughs in the living room made Changmin smile. Turning his back to them to grab everything he needed, he heard Jacob's soft voice continue.

"Oh, I'm not sure Changmin is the hardest one to live with."

"He pinned a scary mask of a bloody rabbit in our bedroom," Sunwoo dramatically sighed before laughing at the gasp coming from Younghoon, Kevin, and Hyunjae.

"You told me I could!" The dark-haired whined with a pout, turning his head to look at his boyfriend. "I offered to throw it away when we moved together yet you said I could keep him!"

Sunwoo smiled and scampered towards him, his arms circling Changmin's waist from behind to peck his cheek.

"Just joking, little monster."

Changmin couldn't hold back the grin on his face, glad the taller body was covering him to the others. He knew they were being watched, and was less nervous to accept the public marks of affection if it was around their friends, but he still liked the intimacy hidden in a few seconds stolen to the world.

The ring of the door caught the others' attention, Kevin and Hyunjae running to take the orders, their stomach howling so loudly that the whole capital must have heard them. Taking advantage of the small moment, Changmin quickly kissed Sunwoo's lips, too quickly for his taste but all he dared to do with his friends close. As the youngest smiled, he made his way back in the lively living room, aware of the other following him and of Jacob and Chanhee, both boys smiling knowingly at him.

*

Changmin lazily stretched in the messy sheets, enjoying one of their shared rest days. Near him, Sunwoo was playing with his fingers on the eldest's unveiled stomach, where a ray of light had decided to land, only wearing his bottoms of pajamas. They had decided not to do anything on that Sunday, going back to bed after their shared shower, cuddling in front of a movie, or chatting around.

The eldest let out a satisfied smile, one of his hand blindly going to play with his lover's brown locks. He felt at peace, anxiety shattering away every time Sunwoo was close enough. After years of knowing each other, he couldn't hold back his surprise every time he discovered something new about him, every time their relationship evolved in some ways.

If he had been told, as a teenager, that they would be living together, he was sure the young version of himself would not have been that surprised, even though he would have surely thought of a different type of relationship. In some ways, it had always felt natural between them. It had always been that way, and it couldn't be another one.

He looked at the youngest, a delicate smile stretching his lips as he observed him, registering everything he could, from his calm breath to the tip of tongue humidifying his lips or his long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. It took surely a few minutes for Sunwoo to look up to him, curiosity all over the obsidian pearls Changmin loved to lose himself into.

"What are you thinking about?"

The eldest took some time to answer, enjoying the silence between them. It had always been weird for him to place words on the feeling tightening his chest. He had always felt as if they weren't enough to describe his need for Sunwoo, his joy every time he could see him smile, his excitement when he was talking to him, his hunger for his touch. Sunwoo wasn't the most eloquent person either, yet oppositely, and they had always found a way to understand each other.

Slowly, Changmin searched for words he could use to explain himself. He frowned, focused, and his move made the other chuckle softly.

"I was thinking… Hm… I… you…"

He sighed, nearly giving up, before searching for help in Sunwoo's patient gaze. Biting his lips, his sentence fell in the room in a whisper.

"I was thinking that I've never imagined my life without you. Even from the beginning."

The brown-haired's cheeks bloomed in a pink shade, a shy flower under the intense gaze on him.

"Me too," Sunwoo muttered softly.

They smiled at each other before the eldest kissed him with every feeling he held for his boyfriend, letting the fire in their heart express itself in a hedonic and messy dance, their hands holding onto each other as if they were scared of disappearing.

When they parted away for a second, breathless and lips swollen, they could only chortle out of happiness.

"You know that, for random people, it would have led to a proposal of marriage?" Sunwoo teased.

Changmin raised an eyebrow, not disturbed by the joke.

"Would you like to?" Sunwoo nearly choked at the question, looking at him unsure of what he meant. Changmin only smirked, rolling on top of him to take a glance at the disheveled boy.

"To?"

"Marry me."

Sunwoo nearly burst into laughter, covering his mouth, while Changmin stayed still, smirking.

"You are crazy," the youngest laughed, "are you serious?"

The eldest thought for a bit, taking a guilty pleasure to make the other wait before nodding.

"I can't believe it," Sunwoo shook his head in disbelief, visibly amused and shocked at the same time by his boyfriend's sudden proposal.

"Why? You can say no, you know."

Changmin felt a small punch on his shoulder that only made him grin wider.

"That's not what I said!" Sunwoo snorted, "It's just the most random proposal I've ever heard!"

"The important isn't the way it's done but if it's done with the heart," Changmin pointed out, smiling. "So, would you marry me, sunshine?"

He noticed the gasp of the boy laying under him, the delicate shade of red on his face, and the way his chest was moving a faster out of surprise. When he finally moved, it only took a second for Sunwoo to bring him closer, soon offering his lover a needy kiss, hands losing themselves in his hair, after mumbling against his lips.

"Obviously I do, Changmin."

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it!!!!  
> Love you all, stay safe and have a great day! <3 
> 
> (@topazionmoon on twt)


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